Sonographic technique in diagnosis of urethral strictures in men

Sixteen male patients were examined by sonography, urethrography and urethroscopy because of a clinical suspicion of urethral stricture. For sonography the urethra was filled with anesthetic gel using an inflexible plastic syringe. Ten strictures were identified by urethroscopy; 9 of them were also seen in urethrography and 5 in sonography. All the membrane-like strictures (4), and 1 very proximal stricture remained unvisualized in sonography. Sonography revealed also 1 diverticulum and 1 posttraumatic fistula, which were also seen in urethrography. The presented sonographic method for visualizing the male urethra proved to be useful.